Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation
Working for peace, social
justice and principled nonviolence since 1976
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This paper seeks to provide background, information
and context for the Olympia FOR’s Long-Range Strategic Planning efforts.
Olympia FOR’s Earliest History
When we started the Olympia chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in May
and June of 1976, people asked, “Why are you starting a peace group now? The war
is over.” Actually, while the US’s war in Vietnam and SE Asia had ended the year
before, the peace movement wanted the nation to address the issues that had spun
out from the war (e.g., amnesty for persons who resisted the draft or went AWOL
for reasons of conscience, cutting the military budget and shifting federal
priorities toward funding neglected human needs).Also, a great many issues had
gotten worse while the peace movement was preoccupied with Vietnam, and these
issues desperately needed work. These included nuclear weapons (including the
Trident nuclear submarine which was to be based just 60 miles from Olympia),
several other gigantic weapons systems, several geographical crises (e.g.,
the US/USSR Cold War, Zimbabwe <called Rhodesia at that time>, South Africa with
its brutal apartheid, China, Israel/Palestine, strengthening international law,
and so forth. Also, a number of domestic issues needed attention, including
justice for blacks and American Indians, persistent poverty, community
empowerment, and others.
The Olympia FOR worked on many of these in various ways. Just a few months after
our founding we organized and staffed a peace information booth at the Thurston
County Fair. Our county fair booth was our first big opportunity to reach out to
the public and introduce the FOR to the local community. Our booth emphasized
the need to abolish nuclear weapons and slash
military spending. We held our first Holiday Peace Vigil on the Saturday before
Christmas, 1976, at the NW corner of Sylvester Park, where our Wednesday
noon-hour vigils occur now. We have continued the Holiday Peace Vigils every
year since, and moved the location to Percival Landing when it was built.
In 1976 the Olympia FOR was the only peace group in Thurston County’s general
community, but there was a student group at The Evergreen State College (the
Evergreen Political Information Center), so we collaborated with EPIC on a few
activities. Some other local folks began organizing opposition to the Trident
nuclear submarine, so we worked with them over a number of years. The Olympia
FOR kept reaching out to people, encouraging people who were interested in
various issues, and connecting people with each other. We started with just a
few FOR members in 1976, but we kept reaching out in many ways and kept meeting
new people.
In 1977, 1978, and beyond, we collaborated with some other local organizations
and a few faith communities to hold all-day multi-issue workshops. We began the
Olympia FOR’s long tradition of networking people across issues, across age
groups, and across religions. We consciously built cooperative working
relationships and a strong local multi-issue movement for peace, social justice
and nonviolence. More and more local groups formed from autonomous roots, and we
helped them as we could, through networking, through our newsletter, and in
other ways. We became a resource for connections, information, referrals, and
skills.
The Olympia FOR has grown in numbers, prominence, reputation, and activities.
Since about 1980, the national FOR has recognized the Olympia chapter as one of
the most active in the nation.
Olympia FOR’s Milestones
We published Issue #1 of our newsletter in 1977 or 1978. The issues were
numbered and dated because there was no regular schedule. Eventually we began
publishing on a monthly schedule. In 1996 we changed to a bi-monthly schedule.
Initially we mimeographed the newsletters at a local church, then the church
gave us a mimeograph machine so we published in Glen Anderson’s kitchen.
Beginning with Issue #145 in February 1996 we began having our newsletters
printed commercially on nicer paper with a better looking appearance. We
published Issue #219 on about December 1, 2008.
In 1980 several of our members suggested vigiling for peace downtown, so on
March 5, 1980, we started the Wednesday Noon-Hour Peace Vigil in the NW corner
of Sylvester Park. After 28 ½ years, it still persists, rain or shine, and we
continue to meet new people and connect then with other persons and
organizations who are working for peace, nonviolence, and social justice.
In November 1998, we began vigiling on Friday late afternoons on W. 4th Ave near
Percival Landing to oppose the economic sanctions on Iraq. After September 11,
2001, the theme of this vigil broadened out to other peace concerns. To help our
new local FOR chapter begin in 1976 and grow during the next few years, we
needed a little money for expenses, but we did not yet have enough local
supporters to cover our costs, so the regional FOR body (currently called the
Western Washington FOR), covered our expenses, and we submitted receipts for
reimbursement. The Olympia FOR spent a little less than $700 per year when we
were a new chapter. We encouraged people who wanted to support our efforts could
contribute
to the regional FOR. After our first decade – in February 1987 – we created our
own treasury and began our own fundraising, so people here could contribute
directly to their local FOR chapter.
The Olympia FOR began contributing to the Western Washington FOR in exchange for
services we receive from WWFOR (e.g., their Pacific Call newsletter, which
is published bi-monthly on the alternate months from the Olympia FOR’s
newsletter, and various efforts from the WWFOR’s staff).
Carol Burns, one of our members, had worked hard for five years with other
people to create Thurston Community Television (TCTV), so when it was ready to
start broadcasting, she urged the Olympia FOR to join as an organizational
member. We did, and we have been producing and airing programs since February
1987 – more than 21 years – which makes the Olympia FOR’s program the
longest-running series on TCTV.
Over the years the Olympia FOR has scheduled meetings from time to time so local
folks could discuss topics or hear local speakers who were coming through town.
For a number of years we held meetings at the same time and place each month,
typically with speakers. Because so many local groups had arisen and were
hosting speakers, it became hard to generate a good turnout, so we let that go.
For a few years we also showed videos at the same date and location each month,
but videos came to be shown more often in more places, so turnout declined and
we let this series go. The Olympia FOR recognized needs and opportunities, and
we start things. But we are also comfortable with letting things go when they
have served their purposes.
During the mid-1990s a major project was the Bosnian Student Project. When the
former Yugoslavia was breaking apart, Bosnian Muslims were among the most
vulnerable to attack. The national FOR began a project of identifying
academically talented Bosnians and bringing them to the US to complete their
educations in safety. The Olympia FOR considered bringing one here, and we ended
up with five fully involved and about five more peripherally involved – more
than any other community in the US. Many volunteers contributed tremendous
amounts of work, compassion, and financial support.
While the national FOR has opposed the death penalty for many decades, the
Olympia FOR’s members and supporters had mixed thoughts. Over time, however,
opposition to the death penalty grew, so the Olympia FOR absorbed a local group
that had been created to work for abolition, and that consisted largely of FOR
members anyway. In 1996 it evolved into a specific committee, and it persists
with active efforts, educational sharing, community outreach, and more.
In the 1970s and early we made decisions informally by connecting with a few key
members or discussing things at meetings. With more activities we sensed the
need for better organization and more accountability, so we created the Steering
Committee. In 1996 we reorganized and adopted Guidelines that specify more
structured ways of choosing Steering Committee members and making transitions.
Olympia FOR’s Current Role in the Community
Over the years we organized many varied activities, including speakers, training
workshops, rallies, special vigils, film showings, multi-issue gatherings, and
more. The Olympia FOR quickly became an organization that progressive
individuals and organizations contacted when they were reaching out to build
support for their emerging issues and organizations, and to co-sponsor and
publicize their activities. We gladly networked and supported whenever possible.
Over the years our members have participated in a great number and diversity of
local single-issue organizations and campaigns. Our newsletter and TV programs
have supported many of these and led to many successes. We continue to support
local efforts to organize on behalf of peace, nonviolence and social justice. We
enjoy great working relationships with many groups.
Some years ago we became an affiliate member of Interfaith Works. We belong to
the Thurston County Progressive Network (TC Pro-Net) and participate in the rich
and vibrant life of the greater Olympia area’s non-profit community. In 2001 the
Thurston County Council on Cultural Diversity and Human Rights gave us a Unique
Achievement Human Rights Award. Individuals and organizations appreciate and
respect the Olympia FOR for our principles, our commitment to nonviolence, our
friendly and supportive working relationships, and our reliable and consistent
presence and level of activity. We have had the same phone number since 1976 and
the same office location and mailing address since 1981.
We feel delighted and gratified that so many new organizations and movements
have started and grown in the greater Olympia area. These add energy, diversity,
and challenges. We encourage our people to interact and support this great
tapestry o activism, always bearing in mind our best values and our vision of a
world of social justice, nonviolence and peace.
While not all of these grassroots efforts share the FOR’s commitment to
principled nonviolence, they do seek compatible goals of peace and social
justice. This diversity of methods creates opportunities for those of us who see
nonviolence as not only the goal for the new society, but also the means to move
us there. Olympia FOR members can interact with local folks – as we have done
over the years – to collaborate whenever we can, to seek common ground and
productive working relationships, and to apply creative and principled
nonviolence to the issues that face our community, our nation, and our world.